Shooting at a Hebron checkpoint
Five Israelis were wounded this morning at a temporary IDF checkpoint on the outskirts of Hebron. Two were reported in serious or critical condition and three in light-to-moderate condition. Two Palestinian terrorists, both from Hebron, were eliminated after an exchange of fire lasting more than 20 minutes.
According to the IDF’s preliminary investigation, the attackers arrived by car around 7:30 a.m. as soldiers from the Home Front Command’s 775th “Ari” Search and Rescue Battalion checked vehicles leaving Hebron. The military believes they initially intended to target Israeli civilians on Route 35 but changed plans after realizing they could not reach the highway.
Armed with an M16 rifle and a pistol, they exited their vehicle on a nearby side street, used buildings as cover and opened fire at the checkpoint. The Ari Battalion’s deputy commander, a company commander and an officer from the Paratroopers Brigade’s 101st Battalion who rushed from nearby flanked and eliminated them.
IDF says troops prevented a larger attack
The IDF said a large quantity of ammunition found in the attackers’ vehicle supported its assessment that they intended a larger, potentially mass-casualty attack.
“This was a serious attack. The troops’ swift action prevented an even more serious attack and further harm to civilians and security forces,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said during an assessment. He added that the ammunition “was intended to be used to carry out a larger-scale attack.” Zamir ordered preparations for additional forces to reinforce Central Command if required.
Senior Israeli officers quoted separately by Channel 13 and Maariv said the attackers had planned to storm a settlement:
“The attackers changed their target after arriving at the location in Hebron and opened fire. They planned to storm a settlement, and the attack could have been much more serious. Our forces prevented a very large operation, but we paid a heavy price in the Hebron attack”.
Investigation and raids after the attack
The preliminary probe found no specific advance warning. The IDF was already on heightened alert ahead of the election and amid the olive harvest in Judea and Samaria. The IDF and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) are investigating whether the attackers acted alone or received funding and direction from a wider terrorist network.
Following the attack, IDF soldiers and Border Police launched counterterrorism raids in Hebron and additional areas, entering the attackers’ homes and those of other suspects. The military said preparations were underway to demolish the attackers’ homes. Hebron and surrounding Palestinian villages were placed under full closure.
Smotrich orders demolitions near the attack site
Finance Minister and Minister in the Defense Ministry Bezalel Smotrich ordered the immediate demolition of numerous illegally constructed Arab buildings adjacent to the attack site, according to his aides. They said demolitions would begin within an hour and continue until shortly before Shabbat.
Netanyahu outlines neighborhood operations
Speaking in Hebron, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said:
“We will implement the successful offensive model we used in the refugee camps within the cities. The IDF will enter the neighborhoods from which the terrorists originated, evacuate the residents, go house to house, and destroy terrorist infrastructure. We are prepared for a large-scale operation in Judea and Samaria.”
